It's a world-class security program that sets the standard for the entire supply chain in the food industry. BRC was the first standard to be recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative. As a professional printing and packaging company, we are now BRC/IoP Issue 4-certified by GFSI which validates the high standards of quality, safety and traceability of our production line. We also chose BRC certification because it’s partially based on ISO, HAACP and BFP standards, making it the most relevant quality management certification of its class.

1. INTERVIEW
BEST QUALITY
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
ARE AT NETPAK
MAHER MAHJOUB
INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
AT NETPAK
What is the BRC certification and how
does it impact the company?
It's a world-class security program that sets
the standard for the entire supply chain in
the food industry. BRC was the first standard
to be recognized by the Global Food Safety
Initiative. As a professional printing and
packaging company, we are now BRC/IoP
Issue 4-certified by GFSI which validates the
high standards of quality, safety and
traceability of our production line. We also
chose BRC certification because it’s partially
based on ISO, HAACP and BFP standards,
making it the most relevant quality
management certification of its class.
Specifically, this initiative is part of our
proactive approach focusing on continuous
improvement. The standard includes annual
audits to assess our risk management, safety
and hygiene systems, and our control of
manufacturing processes as well as
upstream and downstream product
traceability. The benchmark standards of the
audit are among the most demanding in the
industry, thereby allowing us to positively
contribute to our customer's value chain.
1

2. Regardless of the industry, every company's
packaging must include health and safety
guarantees, and that's what BRC standards offer
with strict quality control criteria and precise
identification of all materials used. In fact, our
pharmaceutical customers are particularly
mindful of traceability and safety criteria. The
BRC standards also allow Netpak to meet their
specific needs by increasing safety and health
aspects across the plant. Overall, every customer
benefits from our various certifications, including
ISO 9001 as well as eco-certifications such as FSC,
PEFC, SFI and ECOLOGO. When dealing with
Netpak, our customers are assured that their
brand is protected across the value chain, right
down to final packaging.
The standard is currently marginal in
North America. Why adopt it when
there's no demand for it on the market?
When founding Netpak 10 years ago, we
endeavored to offer our customers every
possible certification and to use cutting-edge
technologies. This commitment allowed us to
consistently deliver high-quality packaging
while offering the best safety and traceability
guarantees. Although BRC standards are mostly
found in Europe, the last Food Safety Europe
Conference clearly indicated a strong uptake
trend of BRC standards across the food industry
in the United States and Canada as early as
2015. We are witnessing the adoption of BRC
standards in the North American agri-food
industry which represents 70% of our customer
base. It's a matter of time until they become a
requirement for suppliers. For all these
reasons, we decided to take the lead by
developing best-in-class quality management
practices. Ultimately, our objective is to
establish a trusted framework for our
customers that testifies to our continuous
improvement process. Whatever the relevant
industry certification, our customers can be
sure that Netpak has obtained it or is about to
obtain it.
2
Whatever the relevant
industry certification, our
customers can be sure that
Netpak has obtained it or is
about to obtain it.
BRC standards chiefly focus on the agri-
food industry. Do they impact customers
active in other industries?
BRC/IoP standards have come a long way.
Although they initially focused exclusively on
food packaging, they now encompass the full
range of consumer products packaging.

3. 0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
2012 2014
NETPAK
AND THE BRC GLOBAL
STANDARD
IN NUMBERS Beyond these certifications, what are
the benefits of working with Netpak?
Our commitment to securing leading
certifications enables our customers to base
their choices on the technical requirements
of their project, trusting that Netpak will
deliver best-in-class industry quality and
safety standards. Therefore, our customers
can focus on implementing their project
while leveraging our expertise in the
process. We contribute early on by helping
our customers finalize technical briefs which
saves then time when bidding on call for
tenders. It's not a guarantee to win the bid,
but the service is always much appreciated.
We can also assist in developing the
packaging, including structural design,
prototypes, and choice of materials and
production process. We optimized our
production startup process, making it the
shortest in the industry. For our agri-food
customers, our responsiveness is often a key
advantage that affords them the flexibility
they need. Importantly, we aim to be a
trusted partner for our customers by
remaining attuned their specific needs.
3
1st
Packaging printer in North
America to be BRC certified,
and the only one in Canada.
* BRC/Iop stand 4 - paper - high hygiene risks.
** Data for 2012 : Roberta Spadoni, Pamela Lombardi, Maurizio Canavari, Martin Hingley, (2014) "Private food standard
certification: analysis of the BRC standard in Italian agri-food", British Food Journal, Vol. 116 Iss: 1, pp.142 – 164.
NUMBER OF BRC CERTIFIED FOOD
MANUFACTURERS
Source ** : BRC directory (June 2014)
BRC standards
are used in over
100
countries
185%increase of BRC certified
food manufacturers in
United States between
2012 and 2014.

4. 4
WHO WE ARE
Based in Montreal, Netpak is at the cutting edge of the printing and packaging industry in
North America.
• Sectors : Food & beverage, pharmaceutical, health & beauty, nutraceutical,
confectionaries, toys & games, tobacco, clothing.
• Specialties : Labels, folding cartons, setup boxes, annual reports, corporate literature,
instruction manuals, posters & brochures, POP displays and printed matter.
For more information : http://www.brcglobalstandards.com or http://www.netpak.com , or
give us a call at 514.645.8412.